Stickybeak of the Week: A Home Unfurls to Embrace the Landscape
This exciting, curvaceous addition to a Federation home opens up as it extends out into the light-filled garden
Heritage homes come pre-loaded with history and character, but cellular rooms and small windows can leave you feeling confined and enclosed. Unfurled House, a renovated addition at the back of a Federation-era house in Sydney that replaces a previous iteration, is the direct opposite to its predecessor: the extension is a series of light-filled, interconnected, double-height spaces that spill into the backyard and capture glimpses of the surrounding landscape.
Ground floor plan
There’s an immediate distinction between old and new when moving from the original home at the front of the property into the new rear extension. The four rooms of the original home have been converted into three bedrooms and a second living space, not pictured here.
Something you can’t see in these photos is the attention to detail, including acoustically engineered noise attenuation. While having an airport so close to the city is great for travellers, it’s not so good for light sleepers and maintaining a peaceful indoor environment. Aeroplane noise is a big problem for large parts of Sydney, but it’s much less of a problem here thanks to these noise-blocking measures.
Something you can’t see in these photos is the attention to detail, including acoustically engineered noise attenuation. While having an airport so close to the city is great for travellers, it’s not so good for light sleepers and maintaining a peaceful indoor environment. Aeroplane noise is a big problem for large parts of Sydney, but it’s much less of a problem here thanks to these noise-blocking measures.
A courtyard to the north makes the most of what little north light can be captured over an overbearing neighbouring property. The effect is a light-filled bridge between old and new, with a split-level staircase leading down to an open-plan kitchen, living, dining area and the backyard, or up to a study and master bedroom suite.
The clients were drawn to architect Christopher Polly after admiring the relaxed, easy modern living sensibilities of one his previous projects, the Elliott Ripper House. Unfurled House certainly captures that same spirit to create a liveable and beautiful family home.
The clients were drawn to architect Christopher Polly after admiring the relaxed, easy modern living sensibilities of one his previous projects, the Elliott Ripper House. Unfurled House certainly captures that same spirit to create a liveable and beautiful family home.
Ceiling fans feature throughout the home, just one of the sustainability measures incorporated. Capitalising on Sydney’s benign climate, the home can open up to the outdoors for large portions of the year. Careful placement of openable windows maximises the effectiveness of the fans to draw breezes through the home for those hot, sticky summer days.
The walls are also heavily insulated to lock in winter heat and keep summer heat outside, where it belongs. The heavy thermal mass of the concrete, cross-ventilation potential and hoods and blinds over the windows keep the home comfortable year-round with little need for auxiliary heating and cooling.
The walls are also heavily insulated to lock in winter heat and keep summer heat outside, where it belongs. The heavy thermal mass of the concrete, cross-ventilation potential and hoods and blinds over the windows keep the home comfortable year-round with little need for auxiliary heating and cooling.
Instinct draws you down the stairs towards the lush backyard, where the impact of a curved overhead void is revealed. Hovering above the lounge and dining area, this sculptural double-height opening bounces light deep into the space. The living area’s charcoal-burnished concrete floor soaks up the winter sun to keep the house warm and provides a dramatic, earthy contrast to the all-white walls. Blackbutt veneer in the kitchen and joinery add touches of warmth to the restrained palette.
Wedgie uplights: Tovo; walnut dining chairs: Thonet; Flowerpot VP2 pendants: Verner Panton
Wedgie uplights: Tovo; walnut dining chairs: Thonet; Flowerpot VP2 pendants: Verner Panton
First floor plan
Upstairs, a study takes in gorgeous views of the treetops. While physically separate to the open-plan living area downstairs, the study is still connected to the rest of the family via the void. This allows a parent to sneak off to finish some work while still keeping an ear on the kids below.
The curvaceous void is certainly dramatic, but as you can see it serves a number of practical purposes as well. Architect Christopher Polly says “the generous internal voids [enable] dialogue between its levels and various spaces, and the numerous sightlines these have enabled cut across the interior spaces for a myriad of connections to its external environment.”
The home consequently feels much larger than its restrained footprint. Each part of the addition manages to borrow space visually from other areas, either above, below, across or outside. Essentially what Polly has created is a series of layered, overlapped spaces that feel intimate, without feeling cramped. It’s this sense of freedom that most suits the clients’ lifestyle. The home has room for this young family to grow into.
The home consequently feels much larger than its restrained footprint. Each part of the addition manages to borrow space visually from other areas, either above, below, across or outside. Essentially what Polly has created is a series of layered, overlapped spaces that feel intimate, without feeling cramped. It’s this sense of freedom that most suits the clients’ lifestyle. The home has room for this young family to grow into.
Also upstairs, this bathroom too enjoys an overhead void to bathe users in natural light. Polly says the clients had a helping hand in selecting the interior finishes in the living room, bathroom, ensuite and kitchen, imbuing their home with touches of their personalities.
Azulej-Mutina matt porcelain wall and floor tiles, and ‘Kiwi White’ gloss subway ceramic wall tiles: Academy Tiles; Kado Lux toilet: Reece
Azulej-Mutina matt porcelain wall and floor tiles, and ‘Kiwi White’ gloss subway ceramic wall tiles: Academy Tiles; Kado Lux toilet: Reece
The master bedroom suite is separated from the kids’ bedrooms to create a sense of a parents’ retreat. The room takes in views of the roofs and treetops and has a remarkable sense of calm. With a window seat nook to enjoy northern light, the hideaway is the perfect place to escape at the end of a long day.
Remarkably, the addition takes up no more space than the previous rear addition and deck. This was an important part of the brief for the client – with three young boys, they understandably wanted to retain as much backyard as possible. It was also important not to encroach on the backyard too much, to minimise the impact on a southern neighbour.
Shadowclad plywood cladding: Gunnersens; Klip-Lok Classic 700 roofing in ‘Surfmist’: Colorbond
Shadowclad plywood cladding: Gunnersens; Klip-Lok Classic 700 roofing in ‘Surfmist’: Colorbond
Polly loves how “the house connects to its landscape, how it captures and mediates natural light, and how it enables connections across various interior spaces.” With the large sliding door open at the back, the house blurs into the garden, creating one large indoor/outdoor space for the kids and adults to enjoy. This home has ‘unfurled’ to create the perfect relaxed lifestyle for a young family.
Who lives here: A family of five; two adults, three young boys and Jemima the cat
Location: Sydney, NSW
Size: 175 square metres, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Architect: Christopher Polly Architect
That’s interesting: See if you can spot the three ‘wedges’ at the rear of the home, which create space for a daybed, a reading area and an inner-city version of a shed.